Feral Instinct
by silvereagle
Summary: Movieverse. Wolverine, well...you'll see...
1. Chapter 1

Feral Instinct  
Part 1  
  
  
...I'm trying to find my own way  
Sometimes I wish that I could fly away  
When I think that I'm moving  
Suddenly things stand still  
I'm afraid 'cause I think they always will  
And I'm looking for space  
And to find out who I am  
And I'm looking to know and understand…  
  
Logan stared at the glowing fire in front of him as the song played on the radio. His didn't know who wrote this song but it sure matched his thoughts. How long had it been since he left Xavier's? He didn't know and he sure didn't care. The only one he actually cared about was Rogue and she was safe back there.   
Five months spent trying to find out about his past. Unsuccessfully. Goodness knows how many months out here alone. He didn't feel like going back and he probably wouldn't, not for a few more months.  
  
…All alone in the universe  
Sometimes that's how it seems  
I get lost in the sadness and the screams  
Then I look in the center  
Suddenly everything's clear  
I find myself in the sunshine and my dreams…  
  
He snorted. At least it worked out well for that guy. He was nowhere near that lucky. Sunshine and dreams? The only dreams he had, he'd like to forget. Nightmares and darkness. That was what he had.   
  
…Join in the living day  
If there's an answer  
It's just that it's just that way  
When you're looking for space   
And to find out who you are  
When you're looking to try and reach the stars  
It's a sweet sweet dream  
Sometimes I'm almost there  
Sometimes a fly like an eagle and  
Sometimes I'm deep in despair…  
  
The song trailed off. Yeah, right. Things just didn't work that way. At least not for him. Not for a man like him. Never.  
He sniffed the air. There was a whole herd of caribou close by and he was hungry. Hearing a soft bleating, he sprang out snarling from the bush he was sitting behind and sank his claws into the calf's soft flesh. The calf gave a last desperate bleat and collapsed. Logan was about to tear it apart…  
…Then everything swam before his eyes. He didn't even have time to cry out when blackness took him.  



	2. Chapter 2

Feral Instinct  
Part 2  
Meat. He could smell fresh meat. Logan opened his eyes, growling. The caribou calf…of course. A fresh kill. He tried to stand. And failed. What the hell? He eased himself onto all fours. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Only he didn't know what it was.  
The musky odour hanging around. He'd never smelt it before, yet something in his mind told him it was…him. His scent. He didn't understand until he looked down. His legs were brown and furry. Five claws protruded from each foot. Not adamantium claws but real, white claws. Dammit to hell…what had happened to him? Something inside his head called quietly…what was his name…Wolverine. He was Wolverine. A real one.   
  
He tore and ate the caribou. No point in letting it go to waste anyway. No knowing when he would get his next meal. He wanted to get out of this body, and soon. The Wolverine instinct was controlling him too strongly. He couldn't even think straight. His mind was clouded with things he never knew he had in there…like the fact that July was coming soon…mating season. He had to find a mate…No! He had to find Xavier. He was sure the old guy could do something. Or at least clear these thoughts out of his head.  
He looked around warily. He was near the He was sure the old guy could do something. Or at least clear these thoughts out of his head.  
He looked around warily. He was near the Peace river, that much he knew. That meant he had at least 3500 kilometers to travel. He looked down at his brown-furred legs doubtfully. Well he had better start going…  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: I do not live anywhere near America or Canada (approximately 24 hrs away by plane on the tiny island of Singapore) and have never ever been there so please forgive me if I make any error about the roads, the forests, etc. All I rely on is my good old Longman atlas and my knowledge on then habits of the wolverine, being more accurate in the latter. More about wolverines at my page http://www.geocities.com/nat_mustang/wolverines.html  
  
Five days. 350 kilometres. It seemed like it would never end. Logan stopped walking and sniffed the air. He had got used to all these changes in the past few days. Beside the furry look, there was also the musk odour that came from him. He HAD to get used to it as he couldn't get rid of it. Plus his sense of smell was much more powerful than before, if that was ever possible. And those damn irritating messages in his mind telling him to do what wolverines do: hunt, defend territory, mate and have young.   
He had travelled merely about a tenth of the distance to Xavier's. He still had a long way to go and he hoped he would last long enough to get there. Especially now that he was a mere 0.6 metres high, without his adamantium claws and fighting skills.  
Logan's russet coat blended perfectly into the taiga and he looked like a shadow moving noiselessly through the coniferous forest. He had been travelling beside the highway for three days after finding it. Ultimately, it had to lead down to the USA, then he could try to find his way to Westchester. And Logan knew for sure that he was travelling south.  
  
He had been travelling for ten days when he smelt it. The familiar, yet different smell. The smell of musk. And it was not him.  
Just as the realisation was fixed in his head, everything started to happen. Another, larger wolverine leaped out from behind a tree. It looked extremely powerful, about 5 centimetres longer and higher than Logan. That would be able to give it an edge in a fight. It was also more experienced; it had been a wolverine for more than ten years, while Logan for only ten days. The other wolverine opened its mouth in a menacing snarl. Black piercing eyes sent a wordless message: get out of my territory.  
Logan stared at his opponent. His instinct was screaming at him to get away but Logan was stubborn. He had won fights before and he was going to win this one, with or without his adamantiun claws.  
The other wolverine screamed its challenge to Logan and got ready to pounce, teeth bared. Logan did the same, fixing his eyes on it. Two black eyes stared unblinking at him. Then the other wolverine sprang.  



	4. Chapter 4

Logan was knocked off his feet, landing with the other wolverine on top of him. He was up and snarling before it was able to get a grip on him. It didn't take long for Logan to see that the other wolverine was stronger, heavier, faster and more agile, more experienced in fighting. It had probably owned this territory for years.   
The other wolverine glared at Logan. It had beaten many rivals before and kept this large, favourable territory where food was plentiful. It was not going to lose to this youngster. Running at top speed, claws outstretched, it lunged at Logan, sinking its claws into his back, ripping holes in his thick skin.  
Logan froze as the pain tore through him. He turned and faced his opponent, trying to find a suitable angle from which to attack.  
The other wolverine was faster. As Logan tried to jump, it reached up and sank its razor sharp teeth into Logan's leg, tearing a wound that went all the way to the bone.  
Logan knew the fight was over. He had lost but was still alive. As the other wolverine turned to give him the final blow, he bolted, blood flowing from his open wounds, into the coniferous forest behind him.  
  
He ran away as fast as he could, until he was sure he was out of the other wolverine's territory. Finding a small stream, he drank from it, filling himself with life and the will to carry on.   
He took shelter in a small cave, licking his wounds until he fell asleep. They would take many days to heal without his healing factor.   
  
He woke up to the sound of a golden eagle's call. Looking up, he saw two of the magnificent birds in the sky. They were flying in circles over the area near the edge of the forest. That could only mean one thing-food. Logan was hungry and exhausted from loss of blood. He headed towards the direction of the eagles.  
The smell of fresh blood drifted over to him as he approached. It was a full-grown caribou buck, its antlers large and widespread. As Logan went closer in eager anticipation, his nose picked up what he had missed before-the unmistakable scent of grizzly bear.  
The bear was a young male, who was tearing the caribou's leg off. Logan stared as the bear started to eat the choice parts of the kill. His nose twitched. That voice in his head was telling him to challenge the bear. It was impossible, Logan told himself. He was wounded and exhausted. Why would he want to fight the bear?  
"Just do it," the voice whispered. Logan closed his eyes and made his decision. He would follow his instincts-for now.  
He approached the grizzly bear with teeth bared and hackles raised, growling fiercely. To his surprise, the bear blinked at him once and then slowly backed off. Logan watched it retreat into the woods, then tore into the caribou's choice hindquarters. The sweet smell of the caribou's blood was wonderful. Logan ate as much as he could, giving himself strength for the long journey ahead.  



	5. Chapter 5

A week later…  
Logan dragged himself up to the front gate of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Exhausted, he collapsed beside it. It was late   
and there was no one around to see him. He might as well sleep until morning.  
He was awakened by the sound of the students moving around. Damn, he had overslept. Looking into the grounds, he saw the students   
playing a soccer game. He knew some of their names, though most of them he had not even seen before. There was Kitty, Jubilee, Bobby, John…and  
Marie. Watching her run after the ball, the gentle breeze tousling her hair, he knew she was genuinely happy here, and he was glad.  
He decided to go in. It was easy to slip through the bars in this form. Logan headed straight up to the students, his small black eyes  
staring quietly up at them.  
"Mister Summers! There's a strange…brown creature out here," one of the students shouted. Logan groaned inwardly. The last thing he   
wanted was Sunglasses Boy chasing him out. Scott came running out and stared at the little furball that was Logan.   
"What is it?" Jubilee asked. Scott just blinked.  
"Go ask your biology teacher"  
Soon the whole school was staring at Logan. Jubilee was pulling Storm out of the building.   
"Miss Munroe, what is that?" Storm glanced at Logan, slightly puzzled.   
"That's gulo gulo ulscus, the North American wolverine. What surprises me is that it's far out of its range. Wolverines normally live  
in Canada. This is too far south of its usual territory."  
"Wolverine…" Rogue repeated it softly, then reached up for the dog tags around her neck. Those dog tags he had given her so long ago.  
She caressed them gently.  
Jubilee reached forward to touch him. Logan stared at her silently as she came closer.  
"Jubilee, be careful. This little guy has teeth that can cut your hand in half," Storm said.  
"Can we keep it?" one of the students asked.  
"John, this is a wild animal. You should not take it from its natural habitat…." Storm explained gently.  
Think Wolverine-there's got to be a way to show them who you are, Logan thought to himself. Think…think...Jean! She's a telepath right?  
He ran up to Jean and pawed at her skirt. Definitely NOT effective. Scott came up and shooed Logan away. Logan was desperate. Scott was   
starting to chase him out of the grounds.  
Suddenly, Logan bolted and ran into the school. Scott stared in amazement, then ran after him.   
"Come back here, you little-"  
Logan ran as fast as he could, using his sense of smell to guide him. He was heading for his room-the room he had used when he was   
staying in the school. He found it and ran in, thanking God that the door was open.  
The room hadn't changed at all since he had left. Despite the fact that he had been gone many months, his scent, or his former scent,   
was still strong.   
Scott dashed into the room, followed by Storm, Jean, Rogue and some of the other students. Scott looked at him suspiciously. Just   
then, Rogue dropped the dog tags she had been clutching tightly. Logan saw his chance and pounced onto them then and licked them gently.  
"Ew, wolverine drool!" Jubilee's voice broke the heavy silence. Storm and Jean were staring at each other in shock. Scott was staring  
at them wondering what was going on.  
"You don't think…" Storm asked.  
Jean shrugged, "There's only one way to find out…" She knelt down and called to Logan, "Logan if that is you, come here." Logan obeyed.  
Jean closed her eyes and started scanning his mind, while Scott stared with his mouth wide open.  
A moment later, the whole school burst into laughter.  
  



	6. Chapter 6

"Professor! Logan is spraying his scent everywhere!"  
"Logan, get out of the kitchen!"  
"Get off the couch!"  
"Do it ON the newspapers!"  
"Get outside!"  
"NOW!"  
  
Logan lay under a tree, staring at the building he had  
been kicked out off. It wasn't his fault; who would have known  
that people didn't like the musky scent he used in marking   
territory? He didn't mean to dirty the couch-and he had   
forgotten where the newspaper was.   
'I'm a wild animal. I shouldn't have to do it on the newspaper  
like a dog. Hell, I'll be running to the newspaper ten times   
a day,' he thought, 'I can't stand this anymore! I want to be   
Logan again! Logan, not some kind of furball!'  
"Logan," Rogue said softly, "Logan, Jean asked me to give you  
this." She put a dog dish on the ground, then petted his head  
and went back to the building. Logan sniffed at the dish of   
brown lumps. Dog food. It reeked of preservatives. 'I pity the  
dog that eats this,' he thought silently to himself.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
"You gave him WHAT?"  
"Ororo, Logan is-"  
"A wolverine, NOT a dog. That brown lumpy thing you   
call dog food could seriously damage his digestive system. And  
I thought you were a doctor. "  
They rushed outside to see Logan staring disgustedly   
at the lumps of food. He had not eaten a single bite. He looked  
at Jean and Storm with pleading black eyes, hoping that they   
would get the message and take the 'food' away.   
  
"I told you he wouldn't eat it."  
"So what do we give him, Miss Biology Teacher?"  
"Meat. From what I know, wolverines like caribou."  
"Carri-what?"  
"Caribou. Reindeer that live in Canada. "  
"Well we can't get any."  
"So we feed him something el- what?"  
"He's already figured out a solution"  
  
Logan, who had become extremely bored and hungry watching  
them talk, had spotted a rabbit running near the edge of the   
grounds. One bite and the rabbit's head dropped onto the ground.   
Logan then began devouring the rabbit, skin, bones and all.  
"Ew that's so gross!" Jubilee squealed, watching Logan.   
Logan, annoyed at her squealing into his sensitive ears, dragged  
the rabbit's head over to her and walked away.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------   
Author's Note: I hate dog food. I don't understand why they call those brown lumps dog food. And they force dogs to eat it.  
And the wolverine's digestive system is NOT that weak. No rabbits were harmed in the making of this fic. I'm not that cruel.  
A stuffed bunny was used.  



End file.
